Tackling the bottleneck in Mg anode/electrolyte interface

Tackling the bottleneck in Mg anode/electrolyte interface

Materials Today

10.1016/j.mattod.2026.103382

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2026.103382

Yongqin Wang, Wenhao Zhao, Yan Sui, Wentong Chen, Jie Lin, Yuanjian Li, Hua Zhang, Baihua Qu, Jingfeng Wang, Yue Cao, Dawei Wang, Zhi Wei Seh

21 May 2026

Wang, Y., Zhao, W., Sui, Y., Chen, W., Lin, J., Li, Y., Zhang, H., Qu, B., Wang, J., Cao, Y., Wang, D., & Seh, Z. W. (2026). Tackling the bottleneck in Mg anode/electrolyte interface. Materials Today, 98, 103382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2026.103382

To satisfy the demand for enhanced energy density, low cost, and improved safety in batteries, magnesium metal batteries (MMBs) have garnered considerable research interest. Nevertheless, their practical application suffers from suboptimal cyclability and rechargeability, which can be attributed to the inherently unstable and easily passivated interface between the magnesium anode and electrolyte. While massive efforts have been made to advance anode and electrolyte, a thorough and in‐depth review of anode‐electrolyte interface engineering for high‐performance MMBs remains scarce. In this review, we systematically analyze the static and dynamic failures of the Mg anode‐electrolyte interface, focusing on issues such as chemical and electrochemical passivation, inhomogeneous deposition and dissolution, and detrimental volume changes. Based on this mechanistic understanding, we critically evaluate recent interface engineering strategies, including the design of artificial solid electrolyte interfacial layers, the use of magnesium alloy anodes, the construction of three‐dimensional matrix materials, and the optimization of electrolyte chemistry systems. Finally, we explore future research directions, including decoupling electro‐chemical‐mechanical interface behavior, advanced interface characterization techniques, and AI‐driven interface material design. Our goal is to establish a foundational framework for the development of high‐performance MMBs and provide a transformative paradigm for understanding and engineering metal anodes in other multivalent battery systems.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

This research / project is supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation - NRF Investigatorship
Grant Reference no. : NRF-NRFI09-0002

This research / project is supported by the the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity Programmatic Fund
Grant Reference no. : M23L9b0052

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/23554

1369-7021

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering